Emily Zugay and the New Power of TikTok
Oh, TikTok. There truly is a lot to be said about this newly emerged platform.
I wouldn’t necessarily say I am an avid TikTok user, but I have been paying close attention recently due to one account in particular that has piqued my interest.
If you work for any brand on TikTok, then chances are you are familiar with the name Emily Zugay. She is a TikToker who took on the responsibility of “re-designing” popular brand logos, including Starbucks, Adobe, the NFL, Detroit Lions, NASA, Target, TikTok, and even the Jonas Brothers. Emily completely disses the brands, using her “degree in graphic design'“ to come up with “new and improved” (and very humorous) logos for them. As of October 4, Emily has 1.6 million followers and has published five spoof design videos.
I remember when her first redesign video popped up on my For You page, I didn’t think too much of it. After looking through the comments, I was astonished by the enormous response from brands - almost every brand you can think of was asking to have their logo ridiculed in her future redesign videos. Comments from brands have also showcased a high level of creativity. Examples include Tampax’s TikTok: “Think it’s that time of the month where we get a new logo design” and Trojan Brand condoms: “We need a logo that you’d want your mom to look at.”
It doesn’t stop there. Brands have gone as far as actually changing their profile pictures to the logo Emily created, and even sending out swag that sported the new logo. TikTok itself was one of the many brands repping its redesigned logo as a profile picture for its own account. Emily also later a posted a video wearing a shirt actually printed by the Detroit Lions that showcased the logo she created, which was also publicized through a video posted on the Detroit Lions TikTok account.
I recently saw a LinkedIn post from Guillaume Huin, the social media director for McDonald’s US. The post revealed that the company changed the profile picture for all of its social media channels to Emily’s logo, which immediately became the company’s most-liked profile picture ever for Facebook. On top of all of this, Emily’s TikToks have also earned a significant amount of earned coverage from outlets like Ad Age, Vice, Insider, Business Insider, ESPN, and PR Week. I found this Ad Age article the most interesting, which explains how Emily’s TikToks demonstrated that it’s okay for advertisers to take logos a little less seriously.
TikTok’s Focus on the Individual
My reason for bringing up Emily Zugay’s TikToks was not solely to discuss how great they are, though I do find them to be incredibly entertaining. This is the perfect example of how social media, TikTok in particular, is redefining our typical power structures.
When I was a sophomore in college, one of my required readings for a class was “New Power: How Power Works in Our Hyperconnected World-and How to Make It Work for You” by Henry Timms and Jeremy Heimans. The book explains the difference between “old power” and “new power” institutions, and how the emergence of this idea of “new power” is uniquely shaping the 21st century.
At its most basic definition, new power contains a focus on decentralization and placing power into the hands of many people. According to the Harvard Business Review, new power models are “enabled by peer coordination and the agency of the crowd.” Behaviors associated with this idea include sharing, funding, producing, co-owning, collaborating, and adopting a “DIY” mentality - all channeled toward achieving a common goal. Some great examples of new power in action are the #MeToo movement and the Arab Spring movement, which was largely influenced by social media. The peer-driven approaches allowing anyone and everyone to contribute ultimately led to an overhaul of traditional power figures (in these cases, public figures who committed terrible crimes and an entire government). Other prime examples are Lego crowdsourcing ideas for new products and and Nike allowing consumers to design their own shoes.
Contrarily, old power is only held and controlled by few. Before the 21st century, this is the power structure that dominated our culture. The Harvard Business Review describes it as “closed, inaccessible, and leader-driven.” One example that helped me understand this concept was traditional media, such as magazines or television advertisements. The media institutions serve as gatekeepers of information; they have the ultimate control over the information that is published on their behalf. Similarly, large institutions and governments in the past would be the primary decision-makers, leaving little room for others to give their input on important decisions. This is no longer our reality, as the voice of the public is becoming increasingly important, especially for brands. It is important to note that both power structures have advantages and disadvantages. This is a very surface-level explanation of these concepts - to learn more, I recommend checking out the book.
So what does this have to do with Emily Zugay and TikTok? Quite a lot, actually. TikTok has advanced this concept of new power by encouraging co-creation with traditionally “exclusive” institutions and its consumers. In fact, in some circumstances the traditional top-down structure of power has been completely reversed. Just look at all of the verified accounts in Emily Zugay’s comment section competing for her attention - that would NEVER have happened before the 21st century. You can even see it by glancing at brands’ TikTok feeds - most of the content was originally published on individual consumer accounts and then reshared on the Masterbrand account. It is astounding how TikTok has challenged these norms and created space for the average individuals to gain influence, rather than a select few of “elite” figures and institutions.
To drive this point even further, take a look at TikToker Khaby Lame. He is known for creating content that mocks people who seem to unreasonably complicate simple tasks, without even uttering a word. I read on a Morning Brew newsletter that he is the second-most followed person on TikTok, and yet he is a 21-year-old former factory employee in Italy. To put this into perspective, Cristiano Ronaldo is the second-most followed person on Instagram. That just goes to show you the movement TikTok has created toward giving even more power to the individual versus the elite. I think it is absolutely fascinating.
I recently attended a webinar on sustainable TikTok strategies from Social Fresh, which moderated a discussion with experts from Hulu, Starbucks, Among Us, Conviva, and Fresh Tape Media. One of the points they discussed stuck in my mind as I continued to ponder about the shifting power structures instigated through TikTok. One of the features TikTok recently introduced is the voiceover tool, which allows users to implement an automated voice to narrate their videos. This feature has helped TikTok to become more user-friendly and expanded the range of people who may be able to create an influence on TikTok. Those who may originally have been too shy to produce content now have the voice-to-text feature to fall back on. Now even more people can create engaging content without having to fully put themselves out there.
I was not always a huge fan of TikTok, but I do appreciate the effort it makes to be all-inclusive for those who attempt to build a platform from the ground-up. It truly is interesting how social media has created such a shift in our perceptions and the influence we can have. Keep in mind that this wave of new power certainly has its disadvantages; I’m not saying that it is an all-positive step in the right direction for society. I simply think it is something people need to be aware of in order to best reap the advantages and prevent the problems that may come along with it.
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